Marathon technology plays large role in event's success
by Ethan Schroeder 5/2004

2004 marks the fifth year for the Cellcom Green Bay Marathon, and most of the fanfare may be surrounding the race running through the famed Lambeau Field, a first since the $295 million renovation project was completed in 2003. Also in the limelight this year will, once again, be the technological side of the event.

Participants are becoming increasingly aware of the technology aspects of the Cellcom Green Bay Marathon. "While our event may not be the size of the Chicago or Boston Marathon, we hold our own when it comes to the technology we showcase during the event," said Sean Ryan, race director.

A full year before the gun even sets off the race, a flurry of activity is happening in the marathon back office. "Planning takes large amounts of resources," said Sean. "It takes many dedicated people to put on an event the size of this one, and technology plays a large role in the overall picture."

Over the last five years, the marathon website has become a critical part of the back office administration. The NetNet developed and maintained website is the cornerstone of the entire registration process and core participant database, accounts receivable, customer service, information distribution, race results and email announcements. By utilizing a comprehensive website as the center of all this activity, both cost and manual processing time is reduced.

Race-day technology has also evolved over the last five years. 2003 was the first paperless year for the marathon. No longer did race participants have to search through endless paper printouts to find their time and placement. A NetNet-sponsored computer tent at the finish line provided runners and their family near-instant access to race results by simply entering a bib number or name into a search box.

In addition, a new feature was added in 2003. Runners, family and friends could sign up for race day updates prior to the race. Users could choose to receive updates by both email and Quik|TxT SMS text messages on a digital cellular phone.

Utilizing the radio frequency identification (RFID) chips located on the ankle of each runner, live data was fed into servers from the 13.1 mile half-way mark and the finish line. From this data, split time, finish time and pace was calculated and instantaneously sent to anyone signed up to receive updates.

The 2004 event is expanding on the tradition of the integration of technology and running events. First, more timing mats will give more instant updates and more valuable split data. In addition to a start line and finish line, there will be a 10k (6.2 mi.) split, half-way (13.1 mi) split, and pre-finish chute. Chip readers and mats placed before the finish chute give the announcer, spectators, and world-wide-web users a kind of scrolling computerized crystal ball, foretelling of events to come.

This year will also feature instant race-day updates and a public wireless hotspot "captive portal" blasted around the finish area. Computerized race results will be expanded further by providing a window into the live data coming from the chip timing system. Real-time results will be accessible on NetNet sponsored finish line computers, wireless enabled devices around the finish line area, and globally around the world via the marathon website. Both wired computers, mobile Wi-Fi enabled laptops, and Cellcom PDA phones will be put to use in the finish line area to deliver timely results to participants and spectators.

We will again be pushing the limits of technology this year, adding Cellcom's push-to-talk product and Mobile IP. Chirp^tm phones will be deployed to every chip timing mat point so staff can communicate the status of connectivity and equipment to technology staff at the finish line headquarters.

Mobile IP bridges the worlds of hard connectivity, Wi-Fi, and Cellcom third generation high-speed cellular data. Each timing mat (start line, 10k, 1/2, finish line chute, and finish line) will have NetNet connectivity in the form of DSL, T1 or point-to-point wireless. If the primary connection fails, the IP session will become mobile within seconds and a digital phone will automatically connect over the recently deployed third generation cellular network.